ECTS Credits Calculator: How to calculate ECTS Credits?

Designed by the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the ECTS is a standardised Europe-wide credit system for higher education. ECTS credits measure student workload (lectures, study time, exams) by 60 ECTS credits representing a full year of study and one credit typically representing 25-30 working hours - making it easier for students to transfer between countries and have their academic qualifications and study duration recognised in another country.

ECTS is a system that measures how much work students need to do to complete their courses. It gives credit based on the time and effort required to learn what the course teaches. ECTS helps students get credit for their studies when they move between schools or countries. It makes it easier for students to study in different places across Europe. Most European universities use this system.

ECTS is a European credit system that helps to transfer credits taken at one higher education institution to a course in another institution. Students can move across countries while also getting their previous qualifications recognised by means of the ECTS credits. It measures the academic workload of students in their previous qualifications and thus ensures their international compatibility. The ECTS calculator helps students convert their credit hours into the European credit system. This article contains complete information on the calculation of ECTS credits for Indian students willing to study abroad in European countries.

What are ECTS Credits?

The ECTS Credits allow credits completed at one higher education institution to be counted towards a qualification studied at another to help international students make the most of their study abroad experience. The ECTS Credits have been developed based on learning outcomes and the number of study hours that go behind it.

Used by universities and approved by governments, ECTS is a points-based system that makes international education more easily comparable across borders. The ECTS Credit transfer can be used for all full-time bachelor's, master's, and doctorate (PhD) degrees as well as study exchange programs at universities that accept ECTS. 

Typically, 1 ECTS = 25-30 hours of academic workload that includes lectures, exams, assignments, etc. In this context, 60 ECTS = 1 full academic year. 

What is ECTS Credits Full Form?

The full form of ECTS Credits is the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. It is a student-centred credit system used in higher education across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that measures student workload, facilitates international academic recognition and allows credit transfer from their home country's institution to one of the institutions in Europe. 60 ECTS credits represent a full year of study, meaning 1,500-1,800 hours of study in a year and 30 ECTS credits represent a semester. The ECTS Credits are awarded upon successful completion of modules and help transfer academic work between institutions.

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Where are the ECTS Credits Used?

ECTS credits are primarily used across the 49 member countries of the European Higher Education Area. These credits facilitate student mobility, credit transfer and degree recognition between universities. ECTS Credits enable students to transfer credits earned at one university to another, making it easier for them to study abroad without losing time and credits earned from their previous qualifications.  

Correlation between the Indian Credits and the ECTS Credits 

In India, the credit system is based on the classroom contact hours. While 1 Indian credit equals ~15 hours of workload, 1 ECTS credit, on the other hand, equals 25-30 hours of workload. This means 1 Indian credit ≈ 2 ECTS credits.

Now, let us see how many ECTS credits are in Indian degrees. In Indian degrees:

• Bachelor’s: ~120-140 Indian credits
• Master’s: ~60-80 Indian credits

Hence, an Indian degree of 3 years ≈ 180 ECTS and an Indian degree of 4 years ≈ 240 ECTS

How does the ECTS Credit System work?

The ECTS points system suggests the amount of commitment required to complete a study programme or a module within a study programme. The ECTS points of modules or study programmes are summed up to indicate the total required commitment for a particular study programme.

By completing a course, seminar, or module, a student gets awarded ECTS credit points. Every ECTS credit point represents the amount of work that has been put in for that period. Examples of ECTS credits assigned per university degree type are:

• 60 ECTS credits are awarded for 1 full year of academic studies (usually for a semester it is 30 credits, and 20 credits are awarded for a trimester.)
• 180 ECTS credits are awarded for a three-year Bachelor's programme.
• 240 ECTS credits are awarded for a four-year Bachelor's programme
• 90 or 120 ECTS credits are awarded for a one/two year Master's programme

How does the ECTS convert to study hours?

One ECTS credit point would equal an average of 25-30 actual study hours depending on your preferred country of study. The study hours (h) for ECTS credits are pre-decided for different countries. Popular countries accepting ECTS credit points with study hours are provided below for reference.

Hence, you can see from the table above that depending on the country your ECTS credit would equal to average study hours. However, candidates should note that the study hours are an assessment of the time they have spent which includes but is not limited to the time spent in the classroom, preparing, working on assignments and a lot of other academic pursuits hence, this study time could be different for every individual pursuing a similar course.  

Convert UK credits to ECTS credits

Though the United Kingdom (UK) is part of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) universities tend to use UK credits. In theory, credits are defined separately for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland under the CATS scheme, and for Scotland with the SCQF framework, but they represent the same value. However, conversion between UK credit points and ECTS credit points is simple: 2 UK credits are equivalent to 1 ECTS credit.

Convert US credits to ECTS credits

If you have an undergraduate degree from United States and plan to pursue a master's in Europe - you will have to convert your US credits to ECTS credits. The typical 'full course load' at US university implies 15 US credits per semester equalling 30 ECTS credits at European university. So factor between American and European credits is usually 1 US credit point equals 2 ECTS credit points.

What are the benefits of the ECTS credit system?

As informed earlier, the ECTS credit system helps indicate the amount of work that has gone into pursuing a study module or multiple study modules in a given study programme. In this section, we are going to be discussing the benefits of the ECTS for students looking to study abroad.

• The ECTS credit system is important to students planning to study abroad or pursue higher education overseas including transferring between universities.
• Based on the number of credits a study programme offers upon completion, the ECTS credit system helps to establish the elaborateness of a study class, seminar, internship, thesis, etc. In short, the ECTS framework prepares the student to understand the workload associated with lectures and study programmes.
• The ECTS credit system has been adopted by all universities in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which has a total of 48 nations. Moreover, the ECTS credits are also recognized by select universities outside the EHEA.  
• One of the major advantages of the ECTS credit system is that even if you are unable to complete a programme, ECTS credits help you prove your academic achievements. This way, the student will not have to start over completely, even if he/she drops out of a programme.  
• The ECTS grading system is highly transparent in comparison to the national grading system and compares the performance of other students.

Popular study abroad destinations using the ECTS Credit System

As is already mentioned 48 European countries belonging to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) cluster accept the ECTS Credit System. The following are among the popular study-abroad destinations accepting the ECTS.

• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Sweden
• Netherlands
• United Kingdom

How to Calculate ECTS in Germany?

How to calculate ECTS in Germany: As mentioned earlier, the ECTS or  European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System is a points-based system that suggests the amount of commitment required to complete a study programme or a module within a study programme. The ECTS points of modules or study programmes are summed up to indicate the total required commitment for a particular study programme. This is later converted to study hours. 

When we talk about ECTS in Germany, the country is one of the EHEA countries that accept ECTS credit scores. In Germany, 1 ECTS credit score would convert to 30 study hours as mentioned in the table above. Candidates can check out popular universities in Germany on our website.  

ECTS Germany: How do you calculate ECTS in Germany?

To calculate your ECTS in a particular subject in Germany, candidates are required to add up their total credit hours for the subject in 1 week, then multiply it by the total weeks for the subject. Finally, divide the value by 30 (1 ECTS = 30 hrs) to get your total ECTS for the particular subject.

Correlation between the Indian Credits and the ECTS Credits 

The ECTS credits calculator calculates the equivalent ECTS credits from the number of hours spent on self-study and the number of lecture hours. It is extremely useful in recognising the study of a student in some other university and simplifies the transfer of students' academic achievements from one university to another. If you have queries, feel free to write to us in the comments below.

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